Children drinking Starbucks. If I had to guess what the one and only culture shock of visiting New York would be, that wouldn’t have topped my list. But as it stands, that seems to be the only time I even remember I’m not back in Calgary. Oh. And any time politics or religion surfaces in a conversation.
I’ve been in the US of A for three months now. I have to admit, New York is a lot more fun than I’d assumed it would be. The restaurant and bar scene is as varied and high-quality as I’ve ever seen. The jaywalking is fluid. The apartment costs $6000/month. The delis are delicious. The sirens are never-ending. The accents are cute. (I like the ones that remind me of The Sopranos best.) The tourists are annoying as hell. The health care is efficient. The shopping is prime.

However! I’ve tried my best to avoid partaking in the 5th Avenue pleasures because — wait for it — I’m moving to India next month! Yes, sometime in April I will join our Pune office for some summer heat and torrential rains. The company is moving me to the Indian payroll, which means a reduced salary paid out in rupees. Thankfully, rent in Pune hovers around $300/month and it’s possible to eat for as little as $5/day. The excitement is nearing one-month-from-Christmas proportions, so expect me to go a little crazy by the end of March.

I’ll have more details as the date approaches. For the time-being I’ll be in Chelsea, Manhattan and you can read frequent incoherent ramblings on my blog.